Nene Is the Key To The Denver Nuggets Success

The buzz around Nene has always been about his unlimited potential. That is why the Nuggets acquired the seventh pick of the draft from the New York Knicks in 2002 and used it on him, ahead of such players as Amare Stoudemire and Caron Butler.

The 6'11" Brazilian Center is blessed with an incredible combination of size, speed, and strength, and has the softest set of hands of any big man in the NBA. He has the ability to run the court, pull up for a mid-range jumper, or post up with his back to the basket.

He is versatile, athletic, and has all the physical abilities to become a top-five center in the NBA. The question is, will he ever actually reach that level?

Nene's problem his entire NBA career has been the frequent injuries that have plagued him and have ultimately set back his progress. Since 2004, Nene has averaged only 42.6 games played per season and has dealt with numerous injuries ranging from ACL tears, MCL sprains, to his battle with testicular cancer.

Last season was the first time since 2003 that he has played in at least 65 games, and not surprisingly Nene posted career numbers in nearly every statistical category.  

The thing about Nene is that despite having been in the league for seven years now, he has only played the equivalent of about four full seasons, and while not a spring chicken, he is only 27 years old. He still has time to become the elite player he is capable of being, but the clock is definitely ticking.

In order for Nuggets to reach the next level, they need Nene to be tougher and far more aggressive than he has been throughout his career. He will need to focus less on being a finesse player and begin to take advantage of the dwindling center position in the West. 

With Yao Ming and Shaquille O'Neal both out of the picture, the time has now arrived for Nene to silence his critics and showcase his ability to dominate.  

His performance in 2008-2009 was a great step toward becoming an elite player, but too many times I would forget that Nene was on the court. He tends to go for long spells, within games and within seasons as a whole, where he is completely invisible and irrelevant.

That can't be the case if the Nuggets are to get past the Lakers in the West this year.

When he is asserting himself on the court, there isn't a defender on any level that can stop him. He is quicker than every other center in the league. He is strong enough to hold his own against even the stoutest NBA bigs. He is quite simply an unstoppable force when he is determined.

But, I, for one, am getting tired of hearing about his upside. This will have to be his year to finally fulfill that vaunted potential.

There can't be those periods of inconspicuousness. It can't be a forgettable experience when he is in the game.

Nene is the X-factor. If he takes his game to the next level this season, and establishes his dominance, the Nuggets are as good as any team in the NBA.